KASAA LIFE: Tell us about your everyday diet. Does your daily diet differ from the days you participate in concerts?

 

DMITRY: Starting my day with a glass of water is my routine. Aside from coffee, this is perhaps the most important thing that I always make an effort to retain. I prepare everything myself, try not to buy anything, and always carry food with me.

Despite having a strong sweet tooth and a genuine enjoyment of sweets, I refrain from consuming flour products and steer clear of sweets. However, I do enjoy sweets that are of the highest quality. The nutrition of an opera singer determines 50% of the health of his voice apparatus.

Many people are unaware that a singer's voice strongly correlates with the foods they consume. Every opera singer consumes a variety of products, each of which has its own unique effects on his stomach. The intimate connection between the esophagus and the vocal system is the primary cause. If you don't eat at the appropriate times or choose the wrong food, you may develop various issues with your gastrointestinal tract. Opera singers refer to it as reflux. At this time, the esophagus transports bile, an acid originating from the stomach, to the larynx. As a result of eating the wrong food right before going to bed at night, you can easily cause your vocal cords and mucous membranes to become damaged, which will result in a hoarse voice. In the best-case scenario, it is nothing more than phlegm and reflux, something that feels like a lump in your throat, and you are at a loss for what to do about it. In most cases, we make use of a variety of treatments. At the theater, we always have a phoniatrist on duty, and in addition, every vocalist has his or her own phoniatrist.

My high voice requires continual surveillance by a phoniatrist as well as a consistent diet. Both of these aspects of my existence are essential to my survival. While there aren't many restrictions, the items that pose the greatest risk are low-quality sweets. This category encompasses foods that contain dairy, alcohol, seeds, and nuts. This category includes hot, fatty, and heavy foods. Any stomach-hurting substance may also harm the voice. Generally, vocalists find mildly salted red salmon particularly beneficial for their vocal cords. Consuming a piece of fish with butter in the morning can be beneficial to a certain extent. This significantly benefits the vocal apparatus.

When it comes to plays, concerts, and other performances, it is imperative that you consume anything between three and four hours before the performance begins. On the day of the performance, my day typically goes like this: I wake up, have breakfast, get ready, arrive at the theater, eat at four o'clock, which takes 15 minutes, then go to make-up and, of course, drink a large quantity of water. This is because you require something to sustain the sound. In other words, we can be likened to athletes. One cannot sing without consuming food. The majority of the time, this is a piece of beef for me.

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KASAA LIFE: Why singing and acting? Why did you choose this profession and how did it all begin?

 

DMITRY: My mother, who has devoted her entire life to teaching, is the person who has been the most influential teacher and mentor, and she has allowed me to make my own decisions and mistakes throughout my life. I can say this with a high degree of certainty now. Perhaps it is because of her that I find myself in the position I am in right now. She is a really wise lady. I am now in possession of what I have accomplished. Not only did it begin with my early steps, but it continued to permeate my entire existence and development, and it continues to do so today. Moreover, it is still taking place. And now, to a different degree, a mentor, a person to whom I can open up, express absolutely everything that I think, and, let's say, breathe freely about it all. In addition, this is a really valuable item, and it is most likely the most important thing that I possess at the moment. As a result, my mother never coerced me into going anywhere and always gave me the option to choose no matter what age I was.

 

It is quite clear to me that at the very end, I said to my mother, "Let's go; will we go again to where my brother Maxim sings?" I remember this very clearly. When we went together to say goodbye to him, I told him that I wanted to go as well. In addition, she sent me along with him, and ever since then, I have been studying. Furthermore, I delivered my first performance at the age of three.

 

When I was three years old, I gave my very first performance. "Helpers" was the song that appeared. We sang this song together, my brother and I at the government school, where mom used to work. The music instructor spent a significant amount of time assisting us in preparing this song. This is how it sounds:

 

I wondered day and night,

How I could help my mother:

So as not to raise dust,

I won't sweep.

 

I thought day and night,

How I could help my mother.

After all, cooking soup, roast -

This is not a man's job.

 

I thought day and night,

How I could help my mother.

I'm ready to water the flowers,

But we don't have flowers.

I thought day and night,

How I could help my mother.

I washed the pants myself -

no nitpicking,

But where did the holes

appear on the pants!

I thought day and night,

How I could help my mother.

My mother washed the floor in the house,

I went to play football.

 

This was my very first performance, which was recorded on videotape using old cameras. I even recall the day I spent preparing for this performance. Everyone understood that I have a talent for singing, just like my brother has a wonderful voice, plays a wide variety of instruments, and is a highly talented individual. Regrettably, despite possessing all the necessary skills, he chose not to pursue a musical career. But me, the stage has always attracted me, that after this performance life began to spiral out of control, filled with constant concerts and vocal competitions. (Smiling).

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My frequent performances at local and regional concerts earned me the title of "the city's star" in the Tver region, where I was born. All my teachers assert that it was well-deserved. In other words, no one has ever simply bestowed medals upon me. Everything that happened in my life was the result of a tremendous amount of work. Being a singer is not an effortless profession. My mother sometimes likes to tell me these stories: when I could have up to two or three concerts a day, and despite the temperature and some ailments, I still went and said, "No, I'll go". She often enquired, "Dmitry, are you sure you'll go?"  She always gave me a choice.

 

When I first took the stage, the most important thing I demonstrated to myself was that I am ultimately responsible for all that I'm doing. In my opinion, there seems to be a significant lack of personal, professional, and human responsibility in our current era. People most often cannot take responsibility for their actions. The most significant issue is that they lack the knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their actions effectively.

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KL: How long are rehearsals before solo concerts? How do you recover from them?

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DN: I am among those in the theater who consistently advocate for the proper allocation of rest and rehearsal time. This is very important. It is crucial to pay close attention to every detail. Therefore, general rehearsals typically last for three hours, while production and premiere rehearsals require a full day's commitment. You come to the theater at 11 a.m. and leave at 11 p.m.

 

The nature of the production determines whether there is a long hour break or not. If the event is a production, rehearsal typically spans an entire day. If it is rehearsals or ongoing performances, then it is 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, or 6 hours, depending on that. Introductions to large parts typically take place over a period of 4 to 5 days, sometimes without orchestral rehearsals and sometimes with orchestral rehearsals. For me, the fastest turnaround time was either 4 or 5 rehearsals. 

 

This is quite a little because the performances are huge, the performances are full, requiring full acting dedication, musical knowledge and knowledge, and content, and this is always difficult, but this is always pleasant because it is fast, and you prepare yourself as much as you need. There are also lessons. My teacher's name is Svetlana. Typically, a lesson at the theater lasts an hour, involving just the two of us, a singer and a pianist. You don't realize how quickly time passes, as you diligently search, study, and sing. Lessons with Svetlana can extend over several hours. This is standard practice. 

 

Rehearsals are different. I loathe lengthy rehearsals in front of an orchestra because they limit the use of your voice and can be nerve-racking, resulting in a variety of circumstances. I have practiced for an hour and a half, but when I go to a concert, everything changes. And the instrument is positioned somewhat differently, the auditorium is already sounding different, and you are in a different state. I don't like big rehearsals before concerts; instead, I try to focus on the voice and the music. You have a clear grasp of your performance before you even step onto the stage. Indeed, even before performances, the tuning procedure is extremely customized. Everything depends on your voice, including its status, function, and tone.

 

Actually, even before the shows, tuning is quite personal. Your voice really makes all the difference—it's all about how it feels, how it functions, and how it sounds at this moment. Sometimes, all you really need to do is tweak those head resonators and focus on your breathing, and that's it. Sometimes, you really feel that the voice device is clamped. It’s all about adjusting your breathing and just letting the sound flow out freely. There are times when the night before a performance gets really intense. We end up practicing right up until the last minute, sometimes until 11 PM, going over our parts, working on our voices and singing for three or even four hours. 

 

The next day, with our voices already warmed up from the previous night, all you really need to do is eat, take a few deep breaths, and check the resonators. There's always a bit of space, and you really need to figure out how much to give before the rehearsal. I’m not really into singing much before rehearsal. You really need to focus on moving up, and that means you’ve got to go through the transition notes. Every singer has their own unique transition notes. For me, it's ```F, Fis, and G```. I really need to focus on this line, getting in sync with the main register and the upper register. For me, it’s all about building everything from the top, since that upper range is what really matters for a tenor—it's like my bread and butter. 

 

I usually find it pretty tough to mingle after a performance or concert. Absolutely, I get that this is just part of the job, especially when it comes to banquets. Banquets these days aren't just about kicking back and enjoying good food; they're really more focused on tackling problems, addressing issues, and looking ahead to future opportunities. What are some good ways to unwind after a performance? You know, most of the time I just get home and lie down. It’s pretty much my go-to move. Sometimes I feel like grabbing a bite, especially if I’m in a good mood—I might order something. But honestly, I usually just like to chill at home, and yeah, loneliness is just part of my vibe. 

 

It feels like about half of my life is just filled with loneliness. Loneliness can actually have its perks. It's important to spend some time just with yourself, especially since when you're on stage, you really pour everything you have into it. You just peel off your skin. It's really crucial to take care of yourself after that, and you might feel the need to protect yourself a bit because it can leave you feeling exposed. So, after some performances, I find that I either like to be by myself or head out of the city for a bit. Out in the open, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.